F/5,6, 1/400, ISO 125.
Tree Swallow
How do you make a water bed more bouncy?
Use spring water.
Interesting Fact: The Tree Swallow—which is most often seen in open, treeless areas—gets its name from its habit of nesting in tree cavities. They also take readily to nest boxes. ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO 250.
Shark Week
American Coot
Spiny Dogfish Shark
Why do sharks make terrible lawyers?
They’re too nice!
Interesting Fact: Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot )
F/6.3, 1/13, ISO 1600.
Groundhog (Woodchuck )
What’s the Great White Sharks favorite candy?
The Jaw-Breaker!
Interesting Fact: Groundhogs prepare for hibernation by putting on weight. Then they live off the stored fat until they come out of hibernation. ( https://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/fun-groundhog-facts-and-groundhog-day-facts-for-kids/ )
F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 7200.
Pied-Billed Grebe
Why do sharks make terrible lawyers?
They’re too nice!
Interesting Fact: Pied-billed Grebe chicks typically leave the nest the first day after hatching and spend much of their first week riding around on a parent’s back. They usually spend most of their first 3 weeks on or near the nest platform. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-Billed_Grebe )
F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 160.
Green Heron
What is a sharks favorite sci-fi show?
Shark Trek
Interesting Fact: Each breeding season, Green Herons pair up with one mate apiece, performing courtship displays that include stretching their necks, snapping their bills, flying with exaggerated flaps, and calling loudly. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/500, ISO200.
Osprey
What does the man in the moon do when his hair gets too long?
Eclipse it!
Interesting Fact: Ospreys hunt by diving to the water’s surface from some 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 meters) up. They have gripping pads on their feet to help them pluck fish from the water with their curved claws and carry them for great distances. In flight, ospreys will orient the fish headfirst to ease wind resistance. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/o/osprey/ )
F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 125.
Anolis Cristatellus ( Crested Anole )
What do you call a lizard that sings for a Rap Records?
A Rap-tile!
Interesting Fact: When looking for a mate or defending its territory, this anole will display its dewlap and perform “push-ups” to establish dominance. Males aggressively defend territories when mating, but only rarely does this result in physical combat. As a defense against predators, they autotomize their tails. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anolis_cristatellus )
F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 400.
Black-Capped Chickadee
Did you hear about the actor who fell through the floorboards?
He was just going through a stage.
Interesting Fact: Every autumn Black-capped Chickadees allow brain neurons containing old information to die, replacing them with new neurons so they can adapt to changes in their social flocks and environment even with their tiny brains. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/lifehistory )
F/5.6, 1/100, ISO 320.
Duroc pig
What do you call a pig with no legs?
A groundhog.
Interesting Fact: The Duroc pig is an older breed of domestic pig. The breed was developed in the United States and formed the basis for many mixed-breed commercial hogs. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duroc_pig )
F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 320.
Sheep
What do you call a sheep that is always quiet?
A shhhheep!
Interesting Fact: The exact line of descent between domestic sheep and their wild ancestors is unclear.[1] The most common hypothesis states that Ovis aries is descended from the Asiatic (O. orientalis) species of mouflon.[2]:5 Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated by humankind (although the domestication of dogs may be over 20,000 years earlier); the domestication date is estimated to fall between 11,000 and 9,000 B.C in Mesopotamia.[2]:4[3]:11–14[4]:2[5] The rearing of sheep for secondary products, and the resulting breed development, began in either southwest Asia or western Europe.[6] Initially, sheep were kept solely for meat, milk and skins. Archaeological evidence from statuary found at sites in Iran suggests that selection for woolly sheep may have begun around 6000 BC,[2]:5[3]:11 and the earliest woven wool garments have been dated to two to three thousand years later. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep#History )
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